16 July 2020 12:04 am
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya
Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne was appointed as the new Commander of the Navy by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday.
He was serving as the Chief of Staff of the Navy prior being appointed as 24th Commander of the Navy.
The newly-appointed Navy Chief called on the President at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday where he received his letter of appointment. He was appointed to the post following the retirement of Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva.
Vice Admiral Ulugetenne, a proud product of Royal College, Colombo, had joined the Sri Lanka Navy as an Officer Cadet of the 13th intake in 1985 and underwent basic naval training at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee.
He served aboard many Fast Attack Craft and had commanded the prestigious 4th Fast Attack Craft flotilla, the teeth arm of the Sri Lanka Navy fleet, at the height of the terrorist activities. He also took pride in commanding SLNS Nandimithra in 2009, aboard which he was privileged to be its first Weapons Officer and Executive Officer of the same ship earlier.